


Silver for 24 Hours

by AndyAstral



Series: There is Only Straw [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Gen, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, failed intervention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:20:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23902210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndyAstral/pseuds/AndyAstral
Summary: “I’m sorry Qrow, we can’t drop this. We won’t watch you drown.”“Then close your eyes.”Pre Straw, dealing with an attempt at an intervention and how the road to recovery is one must choose for themself.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen & James Ironwood
Series: There is Only Straw [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1631611
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	Silver for 24 Hours

James and Tai had contacted each other, concerned that Qrow had gotten worse. It had been a slow descent, but noticeable.

Tai wanted to help him like Qrow helped Tai. When he was awake, active and the veil of depression had lifted enough for him to be thinking again he realized that while Qrow was taking care of the house, of him, the kids, Qrow hadn’t had time to deal with Summer’s death.

Not in a healthy way, at any rate. He would sip at his flask on occasion, but then it got more... noticeable on how much he did it. A bottle used to last him a month, but now it barely lasted a few days, and he would turn up to the house smelling like a bar. When Tai on the rare occasion indulged in a drink, Ruby had sprinted into the kitchen, because she had smelt uncle Qrow and was so, so crushed to not see him.

Tai had to do something. James had to do something.

It was a meeting with Ozpin that brought them together in Vale. Tai was out of the secret war, he blamed Ozpin for Summer disappearing, of course, and that had driven a rift between Qrow and Tai. Qrow between missions and visits wouldn’t let a single bad word be spoken about the headmaster. Besides, Tai was looking after the girls now, he wasn’t going to leave them to go on an Ozpin mission. He refused.

Qrow acted like Ozpin was the only person left that cared about him, when it wasn’t true at all. So Tai came to Vale meeting up with James and discussed in person how they were going to go about it, the girls being babysat back in Patch. It was only for the weekend, but he still called the baby sitter every few hours and a very cranky Yang had answered the phone yelling ‘WE’RE FINE DADDY, STOP WORRYING.’ and James tried to cover his mouth so his chuckle wasn’t too loud.

It felt like they were setting up a trap. But they were trying to help him.

“I’m ready for boy’s night.” Qrow said, using his foot to kick in the thankfully unlatched door. He whistled lowly, looking around the apartment. “Damn, that promotion must be treating you well.”

It wasn’t anything grand, just switched to a nicer building. Becoming a Special Operative had shown an increase in rank and salary. They needed a good scene for this talk. He also just wanted a nicer TV then the last time he was in Vale as well.

“Heyo, come sit! The couches are bouncy.” Tai said. He and James had been sitting in the longue room, TV muted and making final plans and convincing each other that they had to do this.

“Oh damn, you really shelled out S.O.” Qrow said, vaulting over. “It didn’t take you long to become a special operative, how long do you think before you’re an Ace?”

“Time will tell.” James said.

They idly chatted, neither James nor Tai wanted to be the one to begin the talk. So James cleared his throat when Qrow got up to fetch the beers he had forgotten about on the table.

“Hey Qrow.” James said, trying not to sound impersonal, but he didn’t know how else to go about it. “We need to talk.”

“What about?” Qrow said, popping the cap of the bottle, it hissed with the release of gas.

“Come sit back down.” He prompted, and Qrow turned to them and he stared. Tai and him were both looking at the beer as if it was a live snake. The smile slipped off his face, because Tai and his expressions were grimmer then the monsters they fought. This wasn’t just old friends catching up.

He seemed to sense what was going on, and like an animal feeling trapped, he lashed out.

“You’ve been getting bad, Qrow.” James said slowly. “We’re just concerned.”

“Is this- is this an _intervention?_ ” he drawled out, looking between them like he was waiting for them to yell ‘surprise!’

“Yeah kinda.” Tai said awkwardly, trying to smile to make the situation less tense.

“No. Nope, we’re not doing this.” He said, turning on the spot, not even grabbing the beers as he went for the door. Tai stood up quickly, as did James because Qrow was going to avoid this all together.

“You got your shit kicked in by a gang a few months ago, you could have wiped the floor with them.” Tai said, and it made Qrow pause.

“I didn’t feel like it.” He growled. He turned and pointed at Tai like he was telling off a student. “And I didn’t get the shit kicked out of me, they came out of it way worse than I did.”

“And that doesn’t strike you as bad? You could have been killed.” Tai said. “You’ve never been this reckless before.”

“As if I would let some punks kill me.” He scoffed, waving his hands. “When I die it’s going to some big old beastie.”

And James was scared at how nonplussed he said it, like dying wasn’t permanent, like it was just a lost battle he could dust himself off and wipe his face of blood.

“Please Qrow, I don’t want to one day tell the girls you’ve not coming home.” Tai said, dipping his voice, pleading.

The rooms was silent, James swore he could hear the precipitation of the beer bottles slide down the glass.

“That’s a low one, Tai.” Qrow said, jerking his head back. James knew how much he loved his nieces, and when they had nearly been killed by ursa’s Qrow had called him drunk and sobbing at how it had been his fault, he had gone out for groceries, he didn’t tell Tai he was going and he had to make sure the girls were okay. James had thought they had been killed by how he babbled, and it took nearly half an hour to calm down for him to explain what happened.

And how he had been _furious_ at Tai, but he couldn’t bring himself to level his anger out of his brother in law, because the incident seemed to kick his ass in gear and he was present again.

“It’s gotten out of control, Qrow.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk!” He snapped, turning to James. “Cause I didn’t bar hop at Atlas alone, I wasn’t getting shit faced alone. If we’re going to talk about my drinking, why don’t we talk about your drinking?”

His drinking was different, he wasn’t turning up to his job hung over, he only let go and drank so he could sleep, so he could forget for a while-

“This isn’t about me.” He said. He couldn’t deny that he had a part to play in this, because when Qrow suggested bar hopping he had no qualms about it, liking the thrill, liking how it made him forget for just the night of what he had lost. Then Qrow got worse, and he had to be the adult and dial it back and more often than not drag Qrow out of bars. “Someone had to make sure you weren’t going to get shot.” A drunk Qrow liked to pick fights, and it used to be funny. It stopped being funny.

Qrow’s expression changed to outrage.

“Oh, and I thought we were having fun, you were just babysitting me then.” He spat. This wasn’t about James. He could deal with his own issues. Qrow needed the support, and he couldn’t understand why he was resisting it so much.

“We’re not going to sit back and watch you do this to yourself!” Tai said, running a hand through his hair and trying to keep his composure because he looked like he really didn’t want to be having this conversation either, but he needed to. “Let us help you, Birdie-”

The change was instant.

“Don’t call me Birdie! That was her name for me!” he snarled, the muted TV’s colours flickered. “You were her husband, yes, but she was my partner. She- she _helped_ me so much, and I didn’t go with her. I should have insisted, I should have trailed her I should have-”

“Gods, is this what’s been eating at you?” Tai said, stepping towards him, voice hushed. “Qrow...”

They should have known he was blamed himself, because he always blamed himself for every bad thing that happened. Qrow brought his hands up to his face, breathing heavy. They fucked up.

“I keep seeing her.” He said, hand over his face. “I see white out of the corner of my eye and I freeze.”

“Oh, Qrow...” Tai sighed, and put his arms out as he stepped closer, clearly going for a hug but Qrow pulled away, backing himself up against the door.

"Can, can we just forget we had this conversation?” Voice broken and small. “I just. I just want to hang out with my two best friends and not have to even think about anything bad for a while.”

If they were alive, they would be here because they cared about Qrow just as much as he did. Blair would know what to say to get him to slow down and think.

But they’re not here. He’s not Blair. She would have been a Major at this point, being the ridiculous overachiever she was. James lost a partner in Thea as well, he lost his entire goddamn team and Qrow was there for him after the accident and the lost of the only family he ever knew.

“I’m sorry Qrow, we can’t drop this. We won’t watch you drown.” James said softly. Qrow turned to him, eyes searching his face for something.

“Then close your eyes.”

He had been there for Tai. He had been there for James. He rather self destruct and bat away the hands that were trying to pull him out of the water.

“Why won’t you accept that you need help?” James asked. He wouldn’t let this drop, seeing that Tai wanted to.

“James, this is not going great-” Tai started,

“I don’t _need_ help!” Qrow said indiligently. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Oh come on, Qrow! Look at yourself!” James said, “You’ll bring more than just misfortune if you continue like this!”

He regretted the words immediately, because the rage just left Qrow’s face. He might as well have slapped him with his metal arm, it looked like it would have hurt him less, the gutted expression and his red eyes shinned.

“ _James!_ ” Tai said, not sounded angry, just stunned.

“Qrow, I’m-”

“No. don’t be sorry, you meant what you said.” He said hollowly, walking to the balcony and sliding the door open to the night air. He barely touched it and the glass cracked.

In a blur of black, a bird flew away and out of sight.

* * *

Qrow wasn’t at the meeting the next morning. When Leo asked Ozpin where Qrow was he sighed heavily and explained that he sent Qrow on a mission to Vacuo. It would take a few weeks, and he had left just a few hours prior.

Weeks passed. It turned into two months of near radio silence, and they only got sparse messages. Just to indicate he was on the move, on the trail of something. It confirmed he was alive at least, but never if he was alright.

Tai was beside himself with worry, and they stayed in touch, James updated him when he could. He knew what was on Tai’s mind. Qrow might not come back. He might just disappear like Summer did, or had just left like Raven.

It was on his mind as well.

Eventually, Qrow turned up on the outskirts of Mantle, heavily injured because he had been ambushed by one of Salem’s agents- who was now _very_ dead, if the amount of blood in the airship was anything to go by.

It was only a short message. _“Injured. Need assistance.”_ And a craft appeared as a dot in the distance. The craft tilted into the tundra a mile away from the outskirts of the city and had to be retrieved. It had ran out of fuel. It looked like who ever had attacked him had used the airship, and after the fight Qrow made route for the nearest place he could get medical attention because even if he was reckless, he knew what aura could fix and what it couldn’t, because the size of the wound on his shoulder was going to bleed him dry before his aura restored.

“Hey, Qrow.” He said at the door of his hospital room once he managed to get away to see him. He made a detour to grab a bag of sweets with the metallic wraps, cause Qrow liked to flatten them out and scrunch them and he blamed his bird brain on it. He wanted to talk, needed to talk. Apologise until the word lost meaning because what possessed him to say what he did? How many times had the teams told Qrow he wasn’t his semblance, that he wasn’t bad luck, and omen, a harbinger of pain and misery?

And he had ruined that all with a single comment. How could he hurt one of his only remaining friends like that?

Qrow looked to the door, and it looked like he had seen a ghost with how wide his eyes got, then he focused into a cold stare, colder then the tundra he had been pulled out of.

“I don’t want visitors.” He turned to the nurse who was rewrapping his arm. The wounds looked like they had been deep.

“Qrow, _please_ -” _Let me help._

“I said, I don’t want any visitors.” He said with more force, turning his head away from the door.

“Sir, I’ll kindly ask you to leave.” The nurse said to him. He wasn’t going to stay, he wasn’t going to let a scene fold out in a damn hospital room. If Qrow didn’t want to talk? Fine.

“Tai was worried about you.” He said, and saw Qrow bow his head. “Call him. If not for him but you’re nieces sake. They think you’re dead.”

He turned and walked. Not wanting to see his reaction because it was a low blow. But if it got him to think that maybe, just maybe disappearing without a word was one of the worst things he could do to his family then he would sucker punch him if he had to. Qrow had a family that were missing him. James didn’t have that.

Qrow said nothing when he was discharge, and didn’t come to Atlas as much as he used to. If he did, he didn’t come to see James unless he was delivering a message or intel, seeming to turn up stumbling around on purpose. It was like that for years, and it stayed like that for years because he became too busy as he continued to climb ranks. They kept a professional distance between themselves.

Winter _hated_ him, and in turn he took her hostility towards him to rile her up. He tried to keep them separate, but he seemed to just want to antagonize her simply because of how she looked at him. And it just looked like James let him waltz into his office, drunk and swearing until she was dismissed, and he eased it back. He didn’t know if he was reeling himself in, or just _acting_ drunk.

He had lost his right to ask.

Eventually, they were on friendly, speaking terms again as long as James didn't mention his drinking.

He did what Qrow had asked, and closed his eyes.

* * *

_Looking out of the corner of his eye, Qrow freezes. But it’s only James in his white specialist uniform._

* * *

It had been good to see Qrow again, James had held in his relief to get business out of the way first. The Lantern, the stolen airship, making sure everyone was on the same page. It had been an eventful night.

Just someone familiar and _alive_ , looking the same as Qrow always had. He had brought the new Ozpin, he had brought a gaggle of children, faces he recognized. He knew Winter had been so relieved to see her sister, the only reasons she knew she was missing was because James got several angry calls from Jacques, demanding to know where his daughter was like he had something to do with her disappearance. Jacques was going to get his ass kicked one of these days, he hoped to be there when it happened.

He had come to see the kids and Qrow at breakfast before they all went to gather their new equipment. It had brought a smile to his face to see them so excited, and he only hoped it made up for the night before. Penny was sitting in between Ruby and Weiss, chattering away and catching back up. He had never seen Penny so excited, not since-

Qrow stood up, looking pale, and Ironwood blinked out of his thoughts. Qrow put his barely touched plate of breakfast in front of Nora as he walked past her, he mumbled ‘eat up, squirt’ before leaving through the cafeteria doors. Nora looked pleased, and not many of them paid mind.

“Do you think he’s okay?” Ruby asked her sister, and Yang frowned. That worried him, and he left soon after Qrow. Surely, he wasn’t thinking of having so little to eat, especially expecting a long day. Perhaps he was sick? The climate shock was something to keep in mind. The kids were younger, so that helped them a lot. Qrow on the other hand didn’t exactly have youth on his side.

Qrow slipped into his assigned room, a teacher suite, and didn’t close the door properly behind him. James was behind him, and he wasn’t sure if Qrow had even heard him, looking too concerned with getting back to his room.

Qrow was throwing up. Of course he was throwing up. Ironwood sighed, he hadn’t seen the man take a sip from his flask in the time James had seen him once, so he had to have been dry. He grimaced. James remembered before the fall, he had made barbs about it in the past, and how completely unprofessional Qrow was stumbling around, buzzed at the bare minimum.

Over the years James dialed his own drinking back, climbing the ranks, and having no time at all tampered his own coping mechanisms. There was too much to do.

He was a little relieved that Qrow had the presences of mind to have not thrown up in the mess hall and made his way to his room away from watchful eyes. He didn’t have to be here. Qrow would most likely disappear soon and find a liquor store to stock up. He turned, and heard Qrow yell an expletive before hearing something get thrown across the room and something break, and he couldn’t leave.

“Qrow?” He called out, tapping on the door frame. “Are you okay?”

“Let yourself in, you own the place.” He heard. James wanted to retort that he didn’t own the place, only ran it but that would have made little difference. “I’ll pay for the repairs later, just- keep your voice down.”

He looked, trying to find what had broken- Only a large frame with a photo of the academy on the opposite end of the room. But that only distracted him for a moment. Qrow was hunched over the kitchenette sink, and turned the faucet on and let it run, washing away what ever had been in his stomach. It hadn’t been much, if his breakfast plate was any indicator.

Qrow had to have been hung over as all hell to be having this reaction. “When did you last drink?” James asked.

“Urgh, what time is it?” And it looked difficult for him to concentrate. “30 hours ago?”

James tried to hide his surprise, to his knowledge, that had to be the longest Qrow had gone without something in _years_. Qrow groaned and pushed his head under the sink, wetting the back of his head and James watched it soak into his hair.

“Do you think a shower would be better?” James asked, concerned.

“I don’t think I’ll make it there.” He admitted. “Fuck, this is usually where I give up trying.”

 _What?_ He heard him correctly, he was sure, but he wouldn’t let it show on his face, in case he was wrong.

“Have you stopped drinking?” he asked slowly, trying, _trying_ not to sound surprised. And failed.

“Your third eyebrow will fall off is you keep raising it, Jimmy.” He scoffed. “It’s a recent thing.”

“What caused the change?” He asked before he could stop himself.

Qrow didn’t say anything for a long time, and turned the tap off, leaving an uncomfortable silence. Perhaps he overstepped.

He was clutching his head and speaking into the sink, and turned the tap off. “I fucked up, James. I’m the adult, and I went on a bender and didn’t realize how much danger we were in, if Ruby didn’t have her head on straight we would have all just laid down and died.”

He had no idea what Qrow was talking about. But Qrow had wanted to explain, so he listened. Qrow recounted what happened, how he was pissed off at Ozpin, for what he didn’t elaborate and then there was a farmhouse in the middle of a snowstorm and a cellar full of wine he had begun to demolish.

Qrow’s hands were shaking, which he tried to hide by pushing them into his hair, probably to also cradle his headache.

“I have a problem. I knew before you and Tai talked to me but I _needed_ it.” He mumbled. “But I don’t need it.”

“Hey.” He put a hand on Qrow’s shoulder, “I’m proud of you.”

And he meant it. A welt of guilt formed at the back of his throat. He wished that night could have gone differently. He wish he didn’t push, because he knew now that Qrow had to figure it out himself.

He knew from academy days that Qrow hated it when anyone touched his back, so he made it clear that he was moving his gloved hand to the middle of his shoulder blades. Qrow had tensed, but forced himself to calm down and drop his shoulders. James slowly began to rub his back, offering some small amount of comfort Qrow didn’t protest, and the remaining tension in his back slide away.

“I really, really, want a fucking drink.” He admitted, and James could sense the shame in his words. “But I _need_ to be sober.” He said with more conviction, steadying his voice. “Those kids, They’re shooting stars, they’re got more drive then I do. They need someone to catch them when they fall. I can’t do that if I’m drunk all the time.”

“That’s great, you know that, right?” He said. “They’re lucky kids to have you.” He shouldn’t have said that, he was making the same mistake as he did last time.

Qrow didn’t say anything, but there was no rise in hostility.

“Give me a moment, I’ll be back.” James said, slipping down the hall. He came back with a box with a green cross and a towel and found that Qrow hadn’t moved an inch.

“Each suite has a medic kit under the bathroom sink.” He said, and pulled the box out from the cupboard above the oven. “Aspirin, for what I assume is a killer headache. I’ll send someone here with nausea tablets later.” He popped two of them out of the packet and held them out to Qrow. Qrow drank some water, the spat it out, most likely getting rid of the taste of bile. He took the aspirin, and tried to stand straighter. James had been ready for that, and pushed the towel into his head so his wet hair didn’t drip onto his back.

“Go lay down and sleep some more.” He instructed. Because there was no way that Qrow would be able to shower. “You don’t leave for the mission to the mines until this afternoon- you don’t have to go if-”

“I want to.” He said, taking the towel and patting his own hair dry. “I want to be there when you give them their licenses.”

They had discussed it the night before, James wanted to give them something to show for their efforts, that they were just as much a part of this fight now.

“Okay, but still, get some rest.” He said.

Qrow sighed. “James I really don’t think I can even move from here.”

“Then let me help you.” He said, putting his hand out. Maybe he shouldn’t be here, he should leave because he didn’t want to have history repeat. But Qrow nodded at him.

“Okay. Okay, strongman.” Qrow said, and James paused.

“Haven’t heard that in years.” he said, and pulled one of Qrow’s arms over his shoulder, he had to bend his knees slightly, they were both tall men, but James was taller.

“I didn’t mean to bring any bad memories up.” He said, the hall was narrow, so he had to side step to the room at the end of the hall.

“It’s fine. It’s been years.” James said, and hoping he would drop it.

“I know. That doesn’t make it hurt less.” He murmured. James still felt the loss of his team like it was a raw wound, no amount of wrapping it would close it. He could only hope that one day the bandages won’t tear and he’ll bleed out from the grief. He couldn’t afford to do that. Not when there was so much at stake right now.

He had been ‘strongman’ long before he was ‘tinman’. Back when he wasn’t a leader, when he was the support of his team.

“Aw, going to tuck me in?” Qrow asked.

“Shut up and sleep.” He deadpanned. It had been a long time since he had to have gotten a drunken Qrow to bed, this time he didn’t fret over him choking on his own throw up at least, and this time he didn’t feel frustrated. He pulled the cover over his hung over and sick friend, who curled up near immediately. James moved to the window and pulled the blinds to make it darker.

“I’ll call you later.” James said.

He swore he heard a very quiet _“Thanks, James.”_ as he closed the door to his room.

He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes he did in his youth. He was older, and he liked to think he was wiser. He would not squander this second chance. He would watch his friend drown, he’s not going to let him even dip under the surface.

**Author's Note:**

> I had this in drafts for a while, so I thought I'll beef it up and post it. I'm just a sucker for platonic ironqrow. It feels easy to write, cause people say things they don't mean, and conversations don't go how you want them to, and forgiveness takes time as well as dealing with grief.
> 
> Chapter 27, 28 and 29 are all half written for Straw, I'm just really into animal crossing right now :P


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